TOPSHAM
The neighborhood association that spurred creation of the Bridge to Bridge Trail in Topsham Heights is sponsoring a public grand opening celebration near the trail Saturday morning.
The event will start at 10:30 a.m., rain or shine.
The ceremony Saturday has been characterized by members of the Topsham Heights Association as a gathering to provide the association, neighbors and the public an opportunity to thank everyone who played a role in making the foot path a reality.
Chris Taylor, secretary for the Topsham Heights Association, said the project spanned four years from the time it was suggested at a neighborhood meeting by Mark Ponziani to when the trail construction was complete.
The group formed in 2006 and has worked on ways to improve several aspects of the neighborhood while working with the town. Taylor said this was a natural project to stem from the group’s efforts.
The trail runs from the Swinging Bridge to the now closed Black Bridge — which both span the Androscoggin River — between Mill Street in Brunswick and Bridge Street in Topsham.
The path is about 700 feet in length and while not long, “it’s important,” Taylor said. “This was an effort to get a safe pathway from Front Street,” which is the lowest point in the Heights, “and connect with all the other pathways.”
This area of Bridge Street is narrow and is a blind hill. Since completion of the path, Taylor said it is used quite frequently. There are many young families with young children who can ride their tricycles along the path with parents abreast, parents pushing baby carriages and seniors who can enjoy firm footing as they navigate the path. Walkers also venture over from Brunswick, and Taylor noted the path will connect to the Androscoggin Brunswick-Topsham Riverwalk trail, the first portion of which is currently under construction between the Swinging Bridge and Summer Street.
As the neighborhood group moved forward with the trail idea, “we realized that it was a bigger project than what we would most likely be able to handle on our own, and that’s when we started to reach out and look for state grants,” Taylor said.
The project took longer to allow the association to write to nonprofit organizations and raise money on its own. Taylor said the group raised several thousand dollars to pay a landscape architect for plans before it had to hand the project off to the town.
The major hurdle was funding, he said.
Topsham Town Planner Rich Roedner said the Topsham Heights neighborhood brought the project to the attention of town staff and then the Board of Selectmen, which decided to apply to the Maine Department of Transportation for funding.
The town received an $85,000 grant to complete the grant through the MDOT safety program and was responsible for a 20 percent match. The match was provided by the town public works department doing most of the work itself as a general contractor as time allowed between other projects and hiring out the paving and some other tasks.
Roedner said this allowed the town to complete the project “way under budget,” which saved the town and state money.
Saturday’s event will recognize those who helped make the Bridge to Bridge Trail possible, including Topsham’s public works department, planning office, parks and recreation department, sewer district, selectmen, current and former town managers, the MDOT bicycle and pedestrian safety program, and members and officers of the Topsham Heights Association.
Guest speakers include town historian Ralph Williams, who will speak about the history of the Topsham Heights; Neal Ward of the Androscoggin River Alliance, who will talk about the success in recent years to clean the river; Nancy Randolph, who will speak about the Swinging Bridge and Androscoggin Brunswick- Topsham Riverwalk; Topsham Public Works and Recreation Department Director Pam LeDuc, who will discuss the town’s upcoming 250th anniversary celebration; and Topsham Town Manager Cornell Knight.
Peter Fessenden will serve as event master of ceremonies.
dmoore@timesrecord.com
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